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Roasted thanksgiving turkey served on a bed of herbs and garnished with cranberries
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How to cook a turkey

This Dry Brined Roast Turkey is a showstopper! The dry brine gives your turkey a deep and rich flavor while producing moist and tender meat – no basting required.
Course Lunch/Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword roasted turkey, turkey
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Resting Time 1 day
Total Time 1 day 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 162.4kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 whole Fresh Young Turkey approximately 10 lbs - Thawed to room temp.

Brine

  • 2 tablespoons salt

Garlic butter/oil mixture

  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 sprigs rosemary minced
  • 5 sprigs thyme minced
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter [melted] or oil

Seasoning

  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano or thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 2 teaspoons chicken stock powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

Stuffing

  • 1 onion quartered
  • 1 head garlic cut in half
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • 5 sprigs thyme
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Remove the neck, liver, and giblets from the cavity of the turkey. (You can use that for making gravy). Wash the chicken well with lemon and water. (optional). Pat dry with a paper towel.
  • Brine the turkey by generously rubbing the salt on the turkey
  • Garlic butter/oil mixture: Mix the oil (butter), minced garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Set aside
  • Dry seasoning: Mix the paprika, chili powder, salt, onion powder, cumin, oregano, chicken stock powder, and black pepper.
  • Massage the body of the turkey with the garlic herb oil. Then season the turkey generously with the mix. You need to be heavy-handed here, ensuring you reach all the corners, under the skin, and inside the turkey cavity.
  • Stuff the turkey with the onion, garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Tie the legs with twine and tuck the wings under the back of the bird.
  • Place the turkey on a wire rack over a baking sheet (you can add some vegetables inside the baking sheet if desired).
  • Roast until the skin is golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165 degrees F, about 13 to 15 minutes per pound.
  • Remove the turkey from the oven, cover it with foil and leave it to rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving it. This is an important step; otherwise, all the delicious juice in the turkey will run out and leave your turkey dry.

Nutrition

Calories: 162.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 12.8g | Protein: 2.8g | Fat: 12.4g | Saturated Fat: 7.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3.2g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 30.8mg | Sodium: 3753.7mg | Potassium: 243.3mg | Fiber: 2.9g | Sugar: 1.9g | Vitamin A: 1654.9IU | Vitamin C: 9.6mg | Calcium: 72.8mg | Iron: 2.1mg